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Islamic Online University The Foundations of Islamic Studies 101
The Foundations of
Islaamic Studies
By
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
Module ONE
‘AQEEDAH
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Islamic Online University The Foundations of Islamic Studies 101
1
J.M. Cowan, The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, (Spoken Language Services
Inc., New York, 3rd. ed., 1976), p.1055.
2
The word tawheed does not actually occur in either the Qur’aan or in the statements (Hadeeths)
of the Prophet (ρ). However, when the Prophet (ρ) sent Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal as governor of Yemen
in 9AH, he told him, “You will be going to Christians and Jews (ahl al-Kitaab), so the first thing
you should invite them to is the assertation of the oneness of Allaah (Yuwahhidoo Allaah).”
(Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas and collected by al-Bukhaaree (Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Sahih Al-
Bukhari, (Arabic-English), (Riyadh: Maktabah ar-Riyaad al-Hadeetha, 1981), vol.9, pp.348-9,
no.469) and Muslim (Abdul Hamid Siddiq, Sahih Muslim (English Trans.), (Lahore: Sh.
Muhammad Ashraf Publishers, 1987), vol.1, pp.14-5, no.27). In this Hadeeth the present tense of
the verb from which the verbal noun Tawheed is derived was used by the Prophet (ρ).
3
Muhammad ibn ‘Alee ibn ‘Arabee was born in Spain in the year 1165 CE and died in Damascus
in the year 1240 CE. He claimed to possess inner light and knowledge of Allaah’s greatest name
and referred to himself as the seal of the sainthood which he implied was a status higher than
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everything which exists is Allaah and Allaah is everything. He asserted that there
is only one real existence, which is Allaah everything else is unreal.4 Yet, such
beliefs are classified by mainstream Islaam as pantheism and, as such, kufr. Other
Muslims such as the Mu‘tazilah5 held that tawheed consisted of stripping Allaah
of all His attributes and asserting that He is present everywhere and in everything;
yet these ideas were also rejected by orthodox Islaam and considered heretical. In
fact, almost all of the various heretical sects which broke off from the main body
of Islaam, from the Prophet’s time till today, began their divergence from the
point of tawheed. All of those who worked for the destruction of Islaam and the
misguidance of its followers have attempted to neutralize the principle of
tawheed, because it represents the very essence of the divine message of Islaam
brought by all the prophets. They have introduced concepts about Allaah totally
alien to Islaam; concepts designed to take man away from the worship of Allaah
alone. Once people accept these pagan philosophies about God, they become
easily susceptible to a multitude of other deviant ideas, all of which eventually
lead those who accept them to the worship of created things under the guise of the
true worship of God.
The Prophet (ρ) himself vividly warned Muslims to beware of such
deviations as had befallen the nations before them. He encouraged them to stick
closely to the path which he had tread. One day as he sat with his companions, he
drew a straight line in the dirt. He then drew a series of lines branching off from
either side of it. When the companions asked him what it meant, he pointed to the
branches and told them that they represented the various paths of misguidance in
this life. He went on to say that at the head of each path sat a devil inviting people
to it. After that, he pointed to the straight line in the middle and told them that it
represented the path of Allaah. When the companions asked for further
clarification, he told them that it was his path and he recited the following verse:
prophethood. In the centuries following his death, his followers elevated him to the status of saint,
and gave him the title of ash-Shaykh al-Akbar (The Greatest Master), but the majority of Muslim
legal scholars considered him a heretic. His principle works are al-Futoohaat al-Makkeeyah and
Fusoos al-Hikim, (H.A.R. Gibb and J.H. Kramers, Shorter Encyclopedia of Islam, (Ithaca, New
York: Cornell University Press, 1953), pp.146-7.
4
A modern proponent of this belief called wahdatul-wujood is Haroon Yahya. He has included a
chapter in most of his works written in refutation of Darwinism promoting this belief.
5
A rationalist philosophical school founded in the Umayyad period (i.e. early 8th century CE) by
Waasil ibn ‘Ataa and ‘Amr ibn ‘Ubayd. It gained sway over the ‘Abbaasid state for over a hundred
years and continued to influence Islamic thought until the 12th century (Shorter Encyclopedia of
Islam, pp.421-6).
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6
Soorah al-An‘aam, (6):153, Reported by Ibn Mas‘ood and collected by an-Nasaa’ee, Ahmad and
ad-Daarimee. Authenticated by al-Albaanee in Sharh as-Sunnah, vol.1, p.13, no.17.
7
annual compulsory charity.
8
Soorah Yoosuf, (12):106.
9
Ibn Abil-‘Ezz al-Hanafee, Sharh al-‘Aqeedah at-Tahaaweeyah, p.78.
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The necessity for this analytical approach to the principle of tawheed arose
after Islaam spread into Egypt, Byzantium, Persia and India and absorbed the
cultures of these regions. It is only natural to expect that when the peoples of
these lands entered the fold of Islaam, they would carry with them some of the
remnants of their former beliefs. When some of these new converts began to
express, in writings and discussion, their various philosophical concepts of God,
confusion arose in which the pure and simple unitarian belief of Islaam became
threatened. There were also others who had outwardly accepted Islaam but
secretly worked to destroy the religion from within, due to their inability to
oppose it militarily. This group began to actively propagate distorted ideas about
Allaah among the masses in order to tear down the first pillar of eemaan (faith)
and with it Islaam istself.
The early caliphs and their governors were closer to Islamic principles,
and the consciousness of the masses was high due to the presence of the Prophet’s
companions and their students. Hence, the demand for the elimination of open
heretics received immediate response from the rulers. In contrast, the later
Umayyad caliphs were more corrupt and as such cared little about such religious
issues. The masses were also less Islamically conscious and thus were more
susceptible to deviant ideas. As greater numbers of people entered Islaam under
the Umayyads, and the learning of an increasing number of conquered nations
was absorbed, the execution of apostates was no longer used to stem the rising
tide of heresy. The task of opposing it fell on the shoulders of the Muslim scholars
of the period who rose to meet the challenge intellectually. They systematically
opposed the various alien philosophies and creeds by categorizing them and
countering them with principles deduced from the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. It was
out of this defense that the science of tawheed emerged, with its precisely defined
categories and components. Therefore, as the categories of tawheed are studied
separately and in more depth, it must not be forgotten that they are each a part of
an organic whole which is itself the foundation of a greater whole, Islaam itself.
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recognition of this reality, Prophet Muhammad (ρ) used to often repeat the
exclamatory phrase “La hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah.” (There is no
movement nor power except by Allaah’s will).
The basis for the ruboobeeyah concept can be found in many Qur’anic
verses. For example, Allaah says:
ﻴﻞِ ٍ ٍ ِ
ٌ ﻞ َﺷ ْﻲء َوﻛ ﻞ َﺷ ْﻲء َو ُﻫ َﻮ َﻋﻠَﻰ ُﻛ اﻟﻠﻪُ َﺧﺎﻟ ُﻖ ُﻛ
“Allaah created all things and He is the agent on which all things
depend.”10
ِ ﻣﺎ أَﺻﺎب ِﻣﻦ ﻣ
ِﻪﻻ ﺑِِﺈ ْذ ِن اﻟﻠِﺼﻴﺒَ ٍﺔ إ ُ ْ َ َ َ
“And no calamity strikes except by Allaah’s permission.”11
The Prophet (ρ) further elaborated on this concept saying, “Be aware that
if the whole of mankind gathered together in order to do something to help, they
would only be able to do something for you which Allaah had already written for
you. Likewise, if the whole of mankind gathered together to harm you, they would
only be able to do something to harm you which Allaah had already written would
happen to you.”12
Thus, what man conceives as good fortune and misfortune are merely
events predestined by Allaah as part of the tests of this life. The incidents follow
patterns set by Allaah alone. Allaah has said in the Qur’aan:
وﻫ ْﻢ
ُ ﺎﺣ َﺬ ُر
ِ ِ ن ِﻣﻦ أَ ْزو ِ ِﺬﻳﻦ آﻣﻨُﻮا إـ َﻬﺎ اﻟﻳﺎأَﻳ
ْ َوا ﻟَ ُﻜ ْﻢ ﻓ اﺟ ُﻜ ْﻢ َوأ َْوَﻻد ُﻛ ْﻢ َﻋ ُﺪ َ ْ َ َ َ
“O Believers! Surely there is in your wives and children an enemy
for you, so beware of them.”13
That is, within the good things of this life there are severe tests of one’s faith in
God. Likewise, in the terrible events of life there lies test as is mentioned in the
verse,
10
Soorah az-Zumar, (39):62.
11
Soorah at-Taghaabun, (64):11.
12
Reported by Ibn ‘Abbaas and collected by at-Tirmithee. See Ezzeddin Ibrahim and Denys
Johnson -Davies, An-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith, (English Trans.), (Damascus, Syria: The Holy
Koran Publishing House, 1976), p.68, no.19.
13
Soorah at-Taghaabu, (64):14.
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ُــﻪﺮ ﻟَ ُﻜـ ْـﻢ َواﻟﻠ ــﻮا َﺷـ ْـﻴﺌًﺎ َو ُﻫـ َـﻮ َﺷـﺴــﻰ أَ ْن ﺗُ ِﺤﺒ
َ َو َﻋﺴــﻰ أَ ْن ﺗَ ْﻜ َﺮُﻫــﻮا َﺷـ ْـﻴﺌًﺎ َو ُﻫـ َـﻮ َﺧ ْﻴ ـ ٌـﺮ ﻟَ ُﻜـ ْـﻢ َو َﻋ
ﻳَـ ْﻌﻠَ ُﻢ َوأَﻧْـﺘُ ْﻢ َﻻ ﺗَـ ْﻌﻠَ ُﻤﻮ َن
“It is possible that you dislike something that is really good for you,
or like something bad for you, but Allaah knows (what is best for
you), and you do not.”15
Apparently evil events in human lives sometimes turn out to be for the best, and
apparently good things which people desire turn out to be harmful. Consequently,
man’s realm of influence in the course of events which make up his life is limited
to mental choices between options presented to him. The ultimate results of these
choices, however are not under his control. In other words, “Man proposes and
God disposes.” Apparent “good fortune” and “misfortune” are both from Allaah
and cannot be caused by good-luck charms such as rabbits’ feet, four-leaf clovers,
wishbones, lucky numbers, zodiacal signs, etc., or by omens of bad luck like
Friday the thirteenth, breaking mirrors, black cats, etc. In fact, the belief in charms
and omens is a manifestation of the grave sin of shirk (association) in this form of
tawheed. ‘Uqbah, one of the companions of the Prophet (ρ), reported that once a
group of men approached Allaah’s Messenger to give their allegiance to him, and
he accepted the oath from nine of them but refused to accept it from one. When
they asked him why he refused their companion’s oath, he replied, “Verily, he is
wearing an amulet.”16 The man who was wearing the amulet put his hand in his
14
Soorah al-Baqarah, (2):155.
15
Soorah al-Baqarah, (2):216.
16
A charm worn to bring good fortune or avert evil.
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cloak, pulled the amulet off, broke it, and then made the oath. The Prophet (ρ)
then said, “Whoever wears an amulet has committed shirk.”17
As for using the Qur’aan like a charm or amulet by wearing or carrying
Qur’anic verses on chains or in pouches to ward off evil or to bring good fortune,
there is little difference between such practices and those of the pagans. Neither
the Prophet (ρ) nor his companions used the Qur’aan in this fashion, and the
Prophet (ρ) said, “Whoever innovates in Islaam something which does not belong
to it will have it rejected.”18 It is true that the Qur’anic chapters an-Naas and al-
Falaq, were revealed specifically for exorcism (that is, for removing evil spells),
but the Prophet (ρ) demonstrated the proper method by which they should be
used. On an occasion when a spell had been cast on him, he told ‘Alee ibn Abee
Taalib to recite the two chapters verse by verse, and when he became ill he used
to recite them on himself.19 He did not write them down and hang them around his
neck, tie them on his arm or around his waist, nor did he tell others to do so.
ﺴ ـ ْـﻮِء
ﻦ اﻟ ـ ِـﻪ ﻇَـ ـﻴﻦ ﺑِﺎﻟﻠ ِ
َ ﻴﻦ َواﻟ ُْﻤ ْﺸـ ـ ِﺮَﻛﺎت اﻟﻈ ــﺎﻧ
ِ ِ ِ
َ ﻴﻦ َواﻟ ُْﻤﻨَﺎﻓ َﻘ ــﺎت َواﻟ ُْﻤ ْﺸـ ـ ِﺮﻛ
ِِ
َ ﺬ َوﻳـُ َﻌ ـ
َ ب اﻟ ُْﻤﻨَــﺎﻓﻘ
ِ تﻣ َ ﻪُ َﻋﻠَْﻴ ِﻬ ْﻢ َوﻟَ َﻌﻨَـ ُﻬ ْﻢ َوأﺐ اﻟﻠ ِ ِ َﻋﻠَْﻴ ِﻬﻢ َداﺋِﺮةُ اﻟ
ﺼ ًﻴﺮا َ ْ ﺎء َ ﺪ ﻟَ ُﻬ ْﻢ َﺟ َﻬﻨ َﻋ
َ ﻢ َو َﺳ َ ﺴ ْﻮء َوﻏَﻀ َ ْ
17
Collected by Ahmad.
18
Reported by ‘Aaeshah and collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari, (Arabic-English),
vol.3, p.535, no.861), Muslim (Sahih Muslim, (English Trans.), vol.3, p.931, no.4266 and
no.4267) and Abu Daawood (Ahmad Hasan, Sunan Abu Dawud (English Trans.), (Lahore: Sh.
Muhammad Ashraf Publishers, 1st. ed., 1984), vol.3, p.1294).
19
Reported by ‘Aa’eshah and collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari, (Arabic-English),
vol.6, p.495, no.535) and Muslim (Sahih Muslim, (English Trans.), vol.3, p.1195, no.5439-40).
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“...that He may punish the hypocrites, men and women, and the
pagans, men and women, who have an evil opinion of Allaah. A
circle of evil is around them; Allaah is angry with them, curses them
and has prepared for them an evil end.”20
Thus, anger is one of God’s attributes. It is incorrect to say as some have, that His
“anger” must really mean His “punishment”, since anger is a sign of weakness in
man that does not befit Allaah. What Allaah has stated should be accepted, with
the qualification that His anger is not like human anger-based on Allaah’s
statement.
ِ ﺴ ِﻤﻴﻊ اﻟﺒ
ﺼ ُﻴﺮ ِ ِ ِ ﻟَﻴ
َ ُ ﺲ َﻛﻤﺜْﻠﻪ َﺷ ْﻲءٌ َو ُﻫ َﻮ اﻟ
َ ْ
“There is nothing like him.”21
This verse clearly underscores the fact that Allaah’s attributes are different from
those of men. When this fact is overlooked, however, a strictly literal
interpretation of the verse results in the denial of God’s very existence. For Allaah
describes Himself as living and man lives; therefore, according to this
“rationalist” argument, God neither lives nor exists.
In fact, the similarity between God’s attributes and those of mankind is in
name only and not in degree. When attributes are used in reference to God, they
are to be taken in the absolute sense, free from human deficiencies.
2. The second aspect of Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat involves referring
to Allaah as He has referred to Himself without giving Him any new names or
attributes. For example, Allaah may not be given the name al-Ghaadib (the angry
one), in spite of the fact that He has said that He gets angry, because neither
Allaah nor His messenger has used this name. This may seem to be a very fine
point, but it must be maintained in order to prevent the false description of God.
That is, finite man is in no position to define the infinite Lord of creation.
The names an-Naasir and ar-Rasheed are among the common names
which cannot be authentically attributed to Allaah. Although their meanings are
true and are mentioned as attributes of Allaah, they cannot be found in any
Qur’aanic text or authentic hadeeth. They do, however, exist in a few hadeeths
containing a list of the 99 names of Allaah, some of which can be found printed in
copies of the Qur’aan. Unfortunately, all of these hadeeths are inauthentic.
3. In the third aspect of Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat Allaah is referred
to without giving Him the attributes of His creation. For example, it is claimed in
20
Soorah al-Fath, (48):6.
21
Soorah ash-Shooraa, (42):11.
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the Bible and Torah that Allaah spent the first six days creating the universe then
slept on the seventh.22 For this reason, Jews and Christians take either Saturday or
Sunday as a day of rest during which work is looked at as a sin. Such a claim
assigns to God the attributes of His creation. It is man who tires after heavy work
and needs sleep to recuperate.23 Elsewhere in the Bible and Torah, God is
portrayed as repenting for His bad thoughts in the same way that humans do when
they realize their errors.24 Similarly the claim that God is a spirit or has a spirit
completely corrupts this aspect of tawheed. Allaah does not refer to Himself as a
spirit anywhere in the Qur’aan nor does His Prophet (ρ) express anything of the
nature in hadeeth. In fact, Allaah refers to the spirit as part of His creation.25
The key principle which should be followed when dealing with Allaah’s
attributes is the Qur’anic formula,
ِ ﺴ ِﻤﻴﻊ اﻟﺒ
ﺼ ُﻴﺮ ِ ِ ِ ﻟَﻴ
َ ُ ﺲ َﻛﻤﺜْﻠﻪ َﺷ ْﻲءٌ َو ُﻫ َﻮ اﻟ
َ ْ
“There is nothing at all like Him, and He is hearer and seer of all.”26
The attributes of hearing and seeing are among human attributes, but when they
are attributed to The Divine Being they are without comparison in their
perfection. However, when these attributes are associated with men they
necessitate ear and eye apparatuses which cannot be attributed to God. What man
knows about the Creator is only what little He has revealed to him through His
prophets. Therefore, man is obliged to stay within these narrow limits. When man
gives free reign to his intellect in describing God, he is liable to fall into errors by
assigning to Allaah the attributes of His creation.
In their love of pictorial representations, Christians have painted, carved
and molded innumerable human likenesses and called them images of God. These
have served to pave the way for the acceptance of Jesus’ divinity among the
masses. Once they accepted the conception of the Creator as being like a human
being, accepting Jesus as God presented no real problem.
22
Genesis 2:2, “And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested
on the seventh day from all his work which he had done.” (Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version
(Nelson, 1951), p.2.
23
In contrast Allaah says explicity in the Qur’aan, “No tiredness overcomes Him nor sleep...”
(Soorah al-Baqarah, (2):255).
24
Expodus 32:14, “And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do to his people.” (Holy
Bible, Revised Standard Version).
25
Allaah clearly states that in the following verse: “They ask you (Muhammad) about the
spirit. Tell (them) that the spirit (exists) by my Lord’s command” (Soorah al-Israa, (17):85.
26
Soorah ash-Shoora, (42):11.
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27
Hebrews 7:1-3, (Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version).
28
Hebrews, 5:5-6 (Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version).
29
Muhammad Rida al-Muzaffar states in his book Faith of Shi‘a Islam, (U.S.A.: Muhammadi
Trust of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2nd ed. 1983): “We believe that, like the prophet, an
Imam must be infallible, that is to say incapable of making errors or doing wrong, either
inwardly or outwardly, from his birth to his death, either intentionally or unintentionally,
because the Imams are the preservers of Islam and it is under their protection.” (p.32). See also
Islam, (Teheran: A Group of Muslim Brothers, 1973), p.35, by Sayed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi.
30
Al-Muzaffar further states: “We maintain that the powers of the Imams to receive inspiration
has reached the highest degree of excellence, and we say that it is a Divinely-given power. By this
means the Imam is able to understand information about anything, anywhere, and at any
time, and he understands by means of this Divinely - given power at once, without recourse to
methodological reasoning or guidance from a teacher.
31
Al-Khomeini states: “Certainly the Imam has a dignified station, a lofty rank, a creational
caliphate, and sovereignty and mastery over all atoms of creation.” (Aayatullaah Musavi al-
Khomeini, al-Hukoomah al-Islaameeyah, (Beirut: at-Talee‘ah Press, Arabic ed., 1979), p.52).
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their indefinite form like Ra’oof and Raheem are allowable names for men
because Allaah has used some of them in their indefinite forms to refer to the
Prophet (ρ):
ِِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ٌ ﻟََﻘ ْﺪ ﺟﺎء ُﻛﻢ رﺳ
وف
ٌ ُﻴﻦ َرء ٌ ﻢ َﺣ ِﺮ
َ ﻳﺺ َﻋﻠَْﻴ ُﻜ ْﻢ ﺑﺎﻟ ُْﻤ ْﺆﻣﻨ ْ ﻮل ﻣ ْﻦ أَﻧ ُﻔﺴ ُﻜ ْﻢ َﻋ ِﺰ ٌﻳﺰ َﻋﻠَْﻴﻪ َﻣﺎ َﻋﻨﺘ َُ ْ َ َ
ﻴﻢ ِ
ٌ َرﺣ
“A messenger has come to you from among yourselves who is
grieved by whatever afflicts you. He is full of concern for you, full of
pity (Ra’oof) and full of mercy (Raheem) for the believers.”32
But ar-Ra’oof (the One Most Full of Pity) and ar-Raheem (the Most Merciful)
can only be used to refer to men if they are preceded by ‘Abd as in ‘Abdur-Ra’oof
or ‘Abdur-Raheem, since in the definite form they represent a level of perfection
which only belongs to God. The ‘Abbaside Caliph, Haroon ar-Rasheed, used the
title “ar-Rasheed” which would have been rejected by the scholars of his time,
had it been actually one of Allaah’s names. On the other hand, names like ‘Abdur-
Rasool (slave of the messenger), ‘Abdun-Nabee (slave of the Prophet), ‘Abdul-
Husayn (slave of Husayn), etc., where people name themselves slave to other than
Allaah are also forbidden. Based on this principle, the Prophet (ρ) forbade
Muslims from referring to those put under their charge as ‘abdee (my slave) or
amatee (my slave girl).33
In spite of the wide implications of the first two categories of tawheed, firm belief
in them alone is not sufficient to fulfill the Islamic requirements of tawheed.
Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah and Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat must be
accompanied by their complement, Tawheed al-’Ibaadah, in order for tawheed to
be considered complete according to Islaam. This point is substantiated by the
fact that Allaah Himself has related in clear terms that the mushrikoon (idolators)
of the Prophet’s time confirmed many aspects of the first two forms of tawheed.
In the Qur’aan Allaah tells the Prophet (ρ) to say to the pagans:
32
Soorah at-Tawbah, (9):128.
33
(Sunan Abu Dawud, (English Trans.), vol.3, pp.1385-6, no.4957).
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ـﻲ ْﺤ
َ ِج اﻟ
ُ ـﺎر َوَﻣ ْـﻦ ﻳُ ْﺨـﺮ
َﺼ َ ْﺴ ْـﻤ َﻊ َو ْاﻷَﺑ
ﻚ اﻟ ُ ِﻣ ْﻦ ﻳَ ْﻤﻠ َض أِ ﺴ َﻤ ِﺎء َو ْاﻷ َْر
ﻗُ ْﻞ َﻣ ْﻦ ﻳَـ ْﺮُزﻗُ ُﻜ ْﻢ ِﻣ ْﻦ اﻟ
ِ َ ﺖ وﻳ ْﺨﺮِج اﻟْﻤﻴ ِ ِ
ُﻪﺴﻴَـ ُﻘﻮﻟُﻮ َن اﻟﻠ
َ َـ ُﺮ ْاﻷ َْﻣ َﺮ ﻓﻲ َوَﻣ ْﻦ ﻳُ َﺪﺑ ْﺤ
َ ﺖ ﻣ ْﻦ اﻟ َ ُ ُ َ ﻣ ْﻦ اﻟ َْﻤﻴ
“Say: ‘Who is it that gives you sustenance from the sky earth,
governs sight and hearing, brings forth life form dead (matter) and
death from the living; and plans the affairs of man?’ They will all
say: ‘Allaah’.”34
34
Soorah Yoonus, (10):31.
35
Soorah az-Zukhruf, (43):87.
36
Soorah Yoosuf, (12):106.
37
Mujaahid ibn Jubayr al-makkee (642-722) was Ibn ‘Abbaas’ most outstanding student. The
narrations of his Tafseer (commentary) of the Qur’aan has been compiled by ‘Abdur-Rahmaan at-
Taahir and published in two volumes under the title, Tafseer Mujaahid, (Islamabad: Majma‘ al-
Buhooth).
38
Collected by Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree.
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“Abraham was not a Jew, nor was he a Christian, but (he) was a true
Muslim and not among those who joined partners with Allaah.”39
Some pagan Makkans even believed in the Resurrection and the Judgement and
others in predestination (qadar). Ample evidence of their belief can be found in
pre-Islamic poetry. for example, the poet Zuhayr was reported to have said: about
punishment:
“It is either delayed, placed in a book and saved for the Day of
Judgement, or hastened and (injustice) avenged.”
‘Antarah was quoted as saying:
“O ‘Ebil, to where will you run from death, if my Lord in the sky has
destined it?”40
In spite of the Makkan’s confession of tawheed and their knowledge of Allaah,
Allaah classified them as disbelievers (kuffaar) and pagans (mushrikoon) simply
because they worshipped other gods along with their worship of Allaah.
Consequently, the most important aspect of tawheed is that of tawheed al-
’Ibaadah, maintaining the unity of Allaah’s worship. All forms of worship must
be directed only to Allaah because He alone deserves worship, and it is He alone
who can grant benefit to man as a result of His worship. Furthermore, there is no
need for any form of intercessor or intermediary between man and God. Allaah
emphasized the importance of directing worship to Him alone by pointing out that
this was the main purpose of man’s creation and the essence of the message
brought by all the prophet. He said:
ِ ﻻ ﻟِﻴـ ْﻌﺒ ُﺪِاﻹﻧﺲ إ ِ ُ وﻣﺎ َﺧﻠَ ْﻘ
ون ُ َ َ ِْ ﻦ َو ﺖ اﻟْﺠ ََ
“I did not create the jinn and mankind except for My worship.”41
َ ُﺎﻏاﺟﺘَﻨِﺒُﻮا اﻟﻄ
ﻮت ً ﻣ ٍﺔ َر ُﺳُﻞ أ َوﻟََﻘ ْﺪ ﺑَـ َﻌﺜْـﻨَﺎ ﻓِﻲ ُﻛ
ْ َﻪ َوﻮﻻ أَ ْن اُ ْﻋﺒُ ُﺪوا اﻟﻠ
“Verily, We have sent to every nation a messenger (saying),
‘Worship Allaah and avoid false gods.”42
Understanding the purpose of creation in a complete sense is beyond man’s innate
abilities. Man is a finite created being and cannot reasonably hope to fully
39
Soorah Aal‘Imraan, (3):67.
40
Quoted in Sulaymaan ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab’s Tayseer al-‘Azeez al-Hameed, (Beirut: al-Maktab
al-Islaamee, 2nd., 1970), p.34.
41
Soorah adh-Dhaariyaat, (51):56.
42
Soorah an-Nahl, (16):36.
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comprehend the actions of the infinite Creator. Hence, God made it a part of
man’s nature to worship Him, and He sent prophets and books of divine
revelation to clarify the aspect of the purpose of creation which was within man’s
mental ability to grasp. That purpose is, as previously mentioned: the worship of
God (‘ebaadah) and the main message of the prophets was to worship God alone,
(Tawheed al-’Ibaadah). Consequently, the gravest sin is shirk, the worship of
others instead of Allaah or along with Allaah.
In Soorah al-Faatihah, which every Muslim is required to recite in his or
her daily prayers, verse four reads, “You alone do we worship, and from You
alone do we seek help.” This is a clear statement that all forms of worship should
be directed exclusively to the One who can respond: Allaah. The Prophet
Muhammad (ρ) confirmed the concept of unity of worship saying, “If you ask in
prayer ask only Allaah, and if you seek help, seek it only from Allaah.”43 The
absence of any need for intercession is further emphasized by the many verses
indicating His closeness to man. For example:
43
Reported by Ibn ‘Abbaas and collected by at-Tirmithee, See An-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith,
(English Trans.), p.68.
44
Soorah al-Baqarah, (2):186.
45
Soorah Qaaf, (50):16.
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ﺮٍة و َل َﻣ َﻮل َو ُﻫ ْﻢ ﺑَ َﺪءُوُﻛ ْﻢ أ ِ ﻤﻮا ﺑِِﺈ ْﺧ َﺮ أ ََﻻ ﺗُـ َﻘﺎﺗِﻠُﻮ َن ﻗَـ ْﻮًﻣﺎ ﻧَ َﻜﺜُﻮا أَﻳْ َﻤﺎﻧَـ ُﻬ ْﻢ َو َﻫ
ِ ﺮ ُﺳ اج اﻟ
ِِ ِ َ ﻖ أَ ْن ﺗَ ْﺨ َﺣ
ﻴﻦ
َ ﺸ ْﻮﻩُ إ ْن ُﻛﻨﺘُ ْﻢ ُﻣ ْﺆﻣﻨ َ ﻪُ أﺸ ْﻮﻧَـ ُﻬ ْﻢ ﻓَﺎﻟﻠ
َ أَﺗَ ْﺨ
“Will you not fight people who broke their oaths, plotted to expel the
messenger and were the first to (attack) you? Do you fear them?
Allaah has more right to be feared if you are truly believers.”54
51
Soorah az-Zumar, (39):3.
52
Faatimah was the Prophet Muhammad’s youngest daughter who married the Prophet’s cousin
‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib, and Hasan and Husayn were their sons.
53
Soorah al-Baqarah, (2):165.
54
Soorah at-Tawbah, (9):13.
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ِِ ِ ِ
َ ﻛﻠُﻮا إ ْن ُﻛﻨﺘُ ْﻢ ُﻣ ْﺆﻣﻨَو َﻋﻠَﻰ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻓَـﺘَـ َﻮ
ﻴﻦ
“Put your trust in Allaah if you are truly believers.”55
Since the term ‘Ibaadah means total obedience, and Allaah is considered the
ultimate lawgiver, the implementation of secular legal systems not based on
divine law (Sharee‘ah) is an act of disbelief in the divine law and belief in the
correctness of such systems. Such a belief constitutes a form of worshipping other
than Allaah (shirk). Allaah said in the Qur’aan:
55
Soorah al-Maa’idah, (5):23.
56
Soorah am-Maa’idah, (5):44.
57
Soorah at-Tawbah, (9):31.
58
Christian clergy made haraam the marrying of more than one wife and the marrying of first
cousins. Roman Catholicism forbade priests from marrying and forbade divorce in general.
59
The Christian Church made halaal the consumption of pork, blood and alcohol. Some of them
also made allowable painting and statues depicting God as a man.
60
Collected by at-Tirmithee.
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is on the books but secular laws are in force, should implement the Sharee‘ah as it
pertains to all aspects of life. The implementation of non-Islamic rule in place of
Sharee‘ah in Muslim lands is an act of shirk and kufr as indicated by the
previously quoted verse. However, as Ibn ‘Abbaas explained, it is not the major
act of disbelief which takes one out of the fold of Islaam but a lesser form.
Consequently, ruling by non-Islamic law does not automatically make the doer a
disbeliever unless he or she actually believes that non-Islamic laws are superior or
equal to divine law. Therefore, the currently common practice of some extreme
groups of declaring all Muslim rulers and those who work under them to be
disbelievers (takfeer) simply because they uphold un-Islamic systems is incorrect.
However, it is the duty of those in positions of authority to change such systems,
while those in positions of influence should advise the rulers in a way which
would not incite rebellion and bloodshed among the masses. As for those not in
such positions, they should despise un-Islamic government for the pleasure of
God and for the upholding of tawheed.
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